Articles on new types of performance scams

“The fact that broken-down, dishonest managers and agents of so-called dramatic and musical entertainments are in the habit of making what they term a ‘raise’ at this season of the year, is either not as widely known as it should be, or a certain class of the amusement-going people in each town and city throughout the country takes pleasure in being victimized. There may be some attraction, it is true, in standing outside the ‘Opera-house’—we believe that is the fashionable name for the Music Hall—and counting the dupes of adroit swindlers, and indulging in a hearty laugh at their own expense; but the wisdom of it may very well be questioned.

During the summer months the cheats referred to quarter themselves in the large cities, concoct their schemes for the Fall and Winter campaigns, and cause such advertisements as follows to be published in the daily papers:

Wanted—Young ladies and gentlemen who wish to cultivate their talents for music and the drama may find opportunity to do so, free of cost, under the direction of experienced teachers, by applying immediately to A. B. C., Box No. 126—Office.

The number of persons who have, or think they have—which for the purpose of the swindle is all the same—talents for acting and singing that it would be a shame and a sin to keep under a bushel, may be counted by the hundred in this City. There is consequently no difficulty in the way of getting up a concert of ‘variety’ troupe from such material. The poor innocents never dream of inquiring into the character of those who engage them. Even if it did occur to them that it might be proper to do so, they would be afraid to venture a remark on the subject for fear of displeasing, or worse still, of being summarily dismissed. The aspirants for stage honors are rarely suspicious. They accept everything as gospel, and having received the order to prepare their wardrobe, go to work with a zeal that would be praiseworthy in the very highest degree if it were displayed in almost any other work. In the meantime, the ‘managers’ employ their spare hours in writing requests in ficticious [sic] names, to the owners of the halls and theatres throughout the section of the country they propose to visit, for lists of the ‘open nights’—nights for which the halls have not been rented. With these before them, it is an easy matter to lay out a route without having to incur more than the mere cost of note-paper, envelopes, and postage-stamps. The next move is to get large and small ‘posters’ printed in as neat and striking a style as can be done for a trifling expense. After agents have been employed to go ahead and ‘bill’ as many towns as they can, the harvest may be said to have commenced in good earnest. The country editors, in most cases without having received a penny in advance, fall into line, and puff the swindles with more injudicious promptness, considering that the ‘star performers’ whose names appear in glaring black, blue, red, and green letters upon the walls, have never been heard of before. A second file of accomplices or dupes of the ‘managers’ go forward a week or so previous to the dates advertised for the appearance of the companies, and in the most business-like manner open office for the sale of reserved seats.

They sell all they can, remain as long as it is safe, and then return to the principals, without waiting to pay either the hotel-keepers or the bill-posters. As the ‘managers’ usually depend upon the success of the ticket-sellers for funds to pay the rent of halls in which they can hold rehearsals, and to pay the railroad fares to the first towns, if anything should go wrong at the outposts, the companies are left to shift for themselves, the audiences are disappointed, the hall-owners cheated, and the bill-posters driven to despair. On the other hand, when the companies have actually been taken out under such circumstances, the ‘managers’ desert them hundreds of miles distant and allow the unfortunate members to make their way home as best they can. There is good reason to believe that a great many of these ‘fly-by-night’ schemes have been hatched during the past Summer. Three or four have already exploded. Last week, Providence was made to pay toll to a ticket agent, who claimed to be acting for a lady orchestra that is probably no longer in existence. A few days ago there was a swindling concern exposed while operating in the towns along the line of the New-York Central Railroad; and still later, a company formed under the attractive name of ‘The Brooklyn Ladies,’ luckily for the members ceased to exist before it had a decent rehearsal. The statement of one of the ladies who was imposed upon by the organizer will show how these swindles and perpetrated: ‘I am very glad to say that all the loss I suffered was the packing of my wardrobe and music. Mr. ---- called on me on Thursday and represented that he wanted a prima donna for a troupe of lady vocalists. He fully agreed to my terms, and under the name of Mme. Corenna Cushman (assumed) I have been ‘billed’ as the greatest living artists, something I am wholly unworthy of. As for me, it makes very little difference, but some of the young ladies are amateurs, and have been put to a great deal of expense in getting up wardrobes, and laces and silk dresses—expensive articles to buy.’

After this warning, it is to be hoped that the stage-struck young people of New-York and other cities will be careful not to allow themselves to be deceived by either the advertisements or representations of the class of ‘managers’ we have been at so much pains to describe. Hall-owners can protect themselves by not paying attention to demands for lists that are unaccompanied by references; newspaper proprietors can prevent their readers from being imposed upon by refusing to publish advertisements without payment in advance when dramatic or musical companies are unknown to them; the bill-posters can save themselves much hard work by requiring respectable deposits; and, last of all, the public can yet more effectually suppress swindles by refusing to buy reserved seats for entertainments, when there is any doubt about the honesty of the managers, until the doors of the halls have been opened for admission. If this advice be faithfully followed, we can promise our country friends that they will very soon hear the last of the dramatic and musical swindlers.”